Paper Short Abstract:

Crime in Arab-Palestinian society in Israel evolved from colonial networks of collaborators established during the military regime era (1948-66). Over time, violent brokers transformed from state agents into criminal organizations while maintaining symbiotic relationships with the establishment.

Paper Abstract:

This paper traces the development and transformation of rising criminal violence in Arab-Palestinian society in Israel. Drawing on Anton Blok's analytic of “violent brokerage" it demonstrated how today's “organized crime” emerged from longer histories of colonial control and political intermediation. While dominant discourses frame rising crime rates as evidence of cultural pathology or of "state absence", community knowledge and historical analysis reveal how today's violent brokers grew out of networks of collaborators established during the military regime era (1948-1966). The military government's system of permits, informants, and selective resource distribution created enduring patterns of violent mediation between Palestinian communities and state power that continue to shape contemporary criminal governance.

This genealogical perspective reveals how colonial-era brokers – local leaders and clan heads recruited to gather intelligence and manage population control – evolved into contemporary criminal organizations. These intermediaries continue to operate in “regimes of permission”, using violence at their discretion. Over time, these brokers gained autonomy through integration into regional trade networks while maintaining symbiotic relationships with the Israeli establishment.

By examining the evolution of violent brokerage over time, this research challenges academic traditions that disconnect current patterns of crime from colonial histories. The analysis demonstrates how contemporary criminal violence reflects the transformation rather than absence of colonial strategies of rule, contributing to broader efforts to develop decolonial approaches to studying crime in Palestine/Israel and beyond.